Wolfgang Hampel. Founder of Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society for Betty MacDonald Fans all over the world.
Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and other famous writers and artists.
Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald Interviews are very popular all over the world.
Wolfgang Hampel is also famous for his satirical poems and stories.

Woefully
inaccurate ratings, DM. Florenzi was immense tonight, making two
critical blocks and providing critical support to Italy's attackers.
Buffon also deserves to be rated higher than a 7, as while he
potentially could have saved Hector's penalty, his save for Gomez's
second half effort demonstrated just how amazing he is at the age of 38.
DM always wrong with the ratings, as usual.

Vashon Island Bike Tree: The True Story

I've posted previously about the bicycle embedded in a tree on Vashon Island.
Yes, it exists. No, it's not photoshopped. Recently I've been getting a
zillion hits on the old posts on the blog because people keep posting
the picture on Facebook with some bogus story about a boy leaving his
bike in the woods and going off to fight and die in World War One, never
to return. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to see all the holes in that story.

To Brexit or Regrexit? A dis-United Kingdom ponders turmoil of EU divorce

After
Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union, there is no
indication that a so-called Brexit will happen soon. It maybe never
will.

Prime Minister David Cameron,
who is resigning, has said he will not take the formal step to an EU
divorce on the grounds that his successor should. Because the referendum
is not legally-binding, some politicians are suggesting a parliament
vote before formally triggering Brexit.
A
petition on the UK government's website on holding a second referendum
has gained more than 3 million signatories in just two days.
European
leaders, facing the biggest threat to European unity since World War
Two, are divided over how swiftly divorce talks should start. Paris
wants haste and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging patience.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he wanted to
"start immediately".
And on Sunday,
Scotland's leader said Scotland may veto Brexit altogether. Under
devolution rules, the parliaments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and
Wales are required to consent to any EU divorce, according to a report
by the House of Lords.
Most British
politicians agree such a decisive 52-48 win for Leave in the referendum
means a divorce must happen. Anything less would be a slap in the face
of democracy.
"The will of the
British people is an instruction that must be delivered," a choking
Cameron said in his resignation speech, which marked the most tumultuous
end to a British premiership since Anthony Eden resigned in 1957 after
the Suez crisis.
Still, the upswell
of chatter - #regrexit is trending big on twitter - over whether
Britain might be able to reconsider speaks to the disbelief gripping
this continent in the wake of a vote that has unleashed financial and
political mayhem.
Sterling has
plunged, and Britain's political parties are both crippled. Cameron is a
lameduck leader, and the main opposition Labour party on Sunday
attempted a coup against its leader, with nine top officials resigning.
"The
kaleidoscope has been shaken up not just in terms of our relationship
with the EU but in terms of who runs our parties, who governs the
country and what the country is made up of," said Anand Menon, Professor
of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London.

Related Coverage

The
law provisioning an EU member country's exit from the union is Article
50 of the Lisbon Treaty that is effectively the EU's constitution. It
has never been invoked before.

Before
the vote, Cameron had said Article 50 would be triggered straight away
if Britain voted to leave. Over the weekend, several EU officials also
said the UK needed to formally split right away - possibly at a Tuesday
EU meeting.

But
officials of the Leave campaign - including former London mayor Boris
Johnson - are stepping on the brakes. They say they want to negotiate
Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the EU before formally pulling
the trigger to divorce.

European officials and observers say such a deal is unlikely, especially considering the thorny issues involved.

For
example, it is unlikely that the EU would grant Britain access to the
single market - key to allowing Britain trade goods and services in the
EU - without London accepting the free movement of EU workers. But the
biggest issue for those who voted to leave the bloc was limits on
immigration - something the Leave campaigners promised.

DIVIDED UK

On
Sunday, a petition to call for a second referendum was gaining
supporters, reaching 3.3 million signatories by the afternoon. David
Lammy, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, said it was within
parliament's powers to call a second referendum and urged that it be
done.

Perhaps the most vocal resistance to a British exit is coming from Scotland.
Scotland, a nation
of five million people, voted to stay in the EU by 62 to 38 percent,
compared to the 54 percent in England who voted to leave.
Under
the United Kingdom's complex arrangements to devolve some powers to
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, legislation generated in London to
set off an EU divorce would have to gain consent from the three
devolved parliaments, according to a report by the House of Lords'
European Union Committee.
Scottish
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC on Sunday that she would
consider urging the Scottish parliament to block such a motion. It is
not clear, however, whether such a scenario would ever materialize or be
binding. Sturgeon's spokesman later said that the British government
might not seek consent in the first place.

Moreover,
Sturgeon is simply laying out the groundwork for a new referendum on
Scottish independence from the United Kingdom --something the first
minister said was "highly likely."

WITHDRAWAL

While
there is no precedent for Article 50, the House of Lords has discussed
how any Brexit would work. In May, it published a report after
consultations with legal experts.

In
the report, Derrick Wyatt, one of the professors involved, said that
while it would be politically difficult, the law allows the UK to change
its mind after invoking Article 50.

"In law, the UK could change its mind before withdrawal from the EU and decide to stay in after all," said Wyatt.

We
were going to Canada in the summer. “When we are in Edmonton”, I said
to Christoph Cremer, “let’s make a quick trip to Seattle”. And that’s
how it happened. At Edmonton Airport we climbed into a plane and two
hours later we landed in the city where Betty had lived. I was so happy
to be in Seattle at last and to be able to trace Betty’s tracks!

Wolfgang Hampel had told Betty’s friends about our arrival.They
were happy to plan a small marathon through the town and it’s
surroundings with us. We only had a few days free. One should not
underestimate Wolfgang’s talent in speedily mobilizing Betty’s friends,
even though it was holiday time. E-mails flew backwards and forwards
between Heidelberg and Seattle, and soon a well prepared itinerary was
ready for us. Shortly before my departure Wolfgang handed me several
parcels, presents for Betty MacDonald's friends. I rushed to pack the
heavy gifts in my luggage but because of the extra weight had to throw
out a pair of pajamas!

After we had landed we took a taxi to the
Hotel in downtown Seattle. I was so curious to see everything. I
turned my head in all directions like one of the hungry hens from
Betty’s farm searching for food! Fortunately it was quite a short
journey otherwise I would have lost my head like a loose screw!Our
hotel room was on the 22nd floor and looked directly out onto the
16-lane highway. There might have been even more than 16 but it made me
too giddy to count! It was like a glimpse of hell! “And is this
Seattle?” I asked myself. I was horrified! The cars racing by were
enough to drive one mad. The traffic roared by day and night. We
immediately contacted Betty MacDonald's friends and let them know we had
arrived and they confirmed the times when we should see them.

On
the next morning I planned my first excursion tracing Betty’s tracks. I
spread out the map of Seattle. “Oh dear” I realized “the Olympic
Peninsula is much too far away for me to get there.” Betty nodded to me! “Very difficult, Letizia, without a car.”

“But I so much wanted to see your chicken farm”

“My chickens are no longer there and you can admire the mountains from a distance”

But
I wanted to go there. I left the hotel and walked to the waterfront
where the State Ferry terminal is. Mamma mia, the streets in Seattle are
so steep! I couldn’t prevent my feet from running down the hill. Why
hadn’t I asked for brakes to be fixed on my shoes? I looked at the
drivers. How incredibly good they must be to accelerate away from the
red traffic lights. The people were walking uphill towards me as briskly
as agile salmon. Good heavens, these Americans! I tried to keep my
balance. The force of gravity is relentless. I grasped hold of objects
where I could and staggered down.In Canada a friend had warned me that in Seattle I would see a lot of people with crutches.

Betty laughed. “ It’s not surprising, Letizia, walking salmon don’t fall directly into the soft mouth of a bear!”“ Betty, stop making these gruesome remarks. We are not in Firlands!”

I
went further. Like a small deranged ant at the foot of a palace monster
I came to a tunnel. The noise was unbearable. On the motorway, “The
Alaskan Way Viaduct”, cars, busses and trucks were driving at the speed
of light right over my head. They puffed out their poisonous gas into
the open balconies and cultivated terraces of the luxurious sky-
scrapers without a thought in the world. America! You are crazy!“Betty,
are all people in Seattle deaf? Or is it perhaps a privilege for
wealthy people to be able to enjoy having cars so near to their eyes and
noses to save them from boredom?”

“When the fog democratically allows everything to disappear into nothing, it makes a bit of a change, Letizia”

“ Your irony is incorrigible, Betty, but tell me, Seattle is meant to be a beautiful city, But where?” I had at last reached the State Ferry terminal.

“No
Madam, the ferry for Vashon Island doesn’t start from here,” one of the
men in the ticket office tells me. ”Take a buss and go to the ferry
terminal in West Seattle.”Betty explained to me “The island lies in
Puget Sound and not in Elliott Bay! It is opposite the airport. You must
have seen it when you were landing!”“Betty, when I am landing I shut my eyes and pray!”

It’s time for lunch. The weather is beautiful and warm. Who said to me that it always rains here?“Sure
to be some envious man who wanted to frighten you away from coming to
Seattle. The city is really beautiful, you’ll see. Stay by the
waterfront, choose the best restaurant with a view of Elliott Bay and
enjoy it.”“Thank you Betty!” I find a table on the
terrace of “Elliott’s Oyster House”. The view of the island is
wonderful. It lies quietly in the sun like a green fleecy cushion on the
blue water. Betty plays with my words:“Vashon Island is a big
cushion, even bigger than Bainbridge which you see in front of your
eyes, Letizia. The islands look similar. They have well kept houses and
beautiful gardens”.

I relax during this introduction, “Bainbridge” you are Vashon Island, and order a mineral water.

“At one time the hotel belonging to the parents of Monica Sone stood on the waterfront.”“Oh, of your friend Kimi!” Unfortunately I forget to ask Betty exactly where it was.

My mind wanders and I think of my mountain hike back to the hotel! “Why is there no donkey for tourists?” Betty laughs:

“I’m sure you can walk back to the hotel. “Letizia can do everything.””

“Yes, Betty, I am my own donkey!” But
I don’t remember that San Francisco is so steep. It doesn’t matter, I
sit and wait. The waiter comes and brings me the menu. I almost fall off
my chair!“ What, you have geoduck on the menu! I have to try it” (I
confess I hate the look of geoduck meat. Betty’s recipe with the pieces
made me feel quite sick – I must try Betty’s favourite dish!)“Proof that you love me!” said Betty enthusiastically “ Isn’t the way to the heart through the stomach?”

I order the geoduck. The waiter looks at me. He would have liked to recommend oysters. “Geoduck no good for you!”Had he perhaps read my deepest thoughts? Fate! Then no geoduck. “No good for me.” “Neither geoduck nor tuberculosis in Seattle” whispered Betty in my ear! “Oh Betty, my best friend, you take such good care of me!”

I order salmon with salad.

“Which salmon? Those that swim in water or those that run through Seattle?”

“Betty, I believe you want me to have a taste of your black humour.”

“Enjoy it then, Letizia.” During lunch we talked about tuberculosis, and that quite spoilt our appetite. “Have you read my book “The Plague and I”?”

“Oh Betty, I’ve started to read it twice but both times I felt so sad I had to stop again!”

“But
why?” asked Betty “Nearly everybody has tuberculosis! I recovered very
quickly and put on 20 pounds! There was no talk of me wasting away! What
did you think of my jokes in the book?”

“Those would have been a
good reason for choosing another sanitorium. I would have been afraid
of becoming a victim of your humour! You would have certainly given me a
nickname! You always thought up such amusing names!” Betty laughed.

“You’re
right. I would have called you “Roman nose”. I would have said to Urbi
and Orbi “ Early this morning “Roman nose” was brought here. She speaks
broken English, doesn’t eat geoduck but she does love cats.”

“Oh
Betty, I would have felt so ashamed to cough. To cough in your presence,
how embarrassing! You would have talked about how I coughed, how many
coughs!”

“It depends on that “how”, Letizia!”

“Please,
leave Goethe quotations out of it. You have certainly learnt from the
Indians how to differentiate between noises. It’s incredible how you
can distinguish between so many sorts of cough! At least 10!”

“So few?”

”And
also your descriptions of the patients and the nurses were pitiless. An
artistic revenge! The smallest pimple on their face didn’t escape your
notice! Amazing.”

“ I was also pitiless to myself. Don’t forget my irony against myself!”

Betty
was silent. She was thinking about Kimi, the “Princess” from Japan! No,
she had only written good things about her best friend, Monica Sone, in
her book “The Plague and I”. A deep friendship had started in the
hospital. The pearl that developed from the illness.“Isn’t it
wonderful, Betty, that an unknown seed can make its way into a mollusk
in the sea and develop into a beautiful jewel?” Betty is paying
attention.

“Betty, the friendship between you and Monica reminds
me of Goethe’s poem “Gingo-Biloba”. You must know it?” Betty nods and I
begin to recite it:

The leaf of this Eastern treeWhich has been entrusted to my gardenOffers a feast of secret significance,For the edification of the initiate.

Is it one living thing.That has become divided within itself?Are these two who have chosen each other,So that we know them as one?

The
friendship with Monica is like the wonderful gingo-biloba leaf, the
tree from the east. Betty was touched. There was a deep feeling of trust
between us. “Our friendship never broke up, partly because she was
in distress, endangered by the deadly illness. We understood and
supplemented each other. We were like one lung with two lobes, one from
the east and one from the west!”“A beautiful picture, Betty. You were like two red gingo-biloba leaves!”

Betty
was sad and said ” Monica, although Japanese, before she really knew me
felt she was also an American. But she was interned in America,
Letizia, during the second world war. Isn’t that terrible?”

“Betty,
I never knew her personally. I have only seen her on a video, but what
dignity in her face, and she speaks and moves so gracefully!”

“Fate could not change her”

“Yes, Betty, like the gingo-biloba tree in Hiroshima. It was the only tree that blossomed again after the atom bomb!”

The
bill came and I paid at once. In America one is urged away from the
table when one has finished eating. If one wants to go on chatting one
has to order something else.“That’s why all those people gossiping
at the tables are so fat!” Betty remarks. “Haven’t you seen how many
massively obese people walk around in the streets of America. Like
dustbins that have never been emptied!” With this typically
unsentimental remark Betty ended our conversation.

Ciao! I so
enjoyed the talk; the humour, the irony and the empathy. I waved to her
and now I too felt like moving! I take a lovely walk along the
waterfront.

Now I am back in Heidelberg and when I think about
how Betty’s “Princessin” left this world on September 5th and that in
August I was speaking about her with Betty in Seattle I feel very sad.
The readers who knew her well (we feel that every author and hero of a
book is nearer to us than our fleeting neighbours next door) yes we, who
thought of her as immortal, cannot believe that even she would die
after 92 years. How unforeseen and unexpected that her death should come
four days after her birthday on September 1th. On September 5th I was
on my way to Turkey, once again in seventh heaven, looking back on the
unforgettable days in Seattle. I was flying from west to east towards
the rising sun.

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.